NBA Teams – Page 1309 – NBA Blog

Chris Kaman hopes to stick with Mavs

For the Mavericks, that’s 60 percent of the team — nine of 15 players, assuming O.J. Mayo doesn’t exercise his player option for next season, which would seem unlikely.

Chris Kaman is one of those players. He signed a one-year deal last summer at $8 million and as far as he’s concerned, he’d like to stick around longer. But he knows now is not the time to make an issue of it.

“Hopefully, I’ll have an option to come back here next year,” he said. “I like Dallas. The people here do a real good job. It’s one of the most professional organizations I’ve ever been a part of. For me, the top one. I like how they do things and maintain their professionalism throughout the whole year, whether we’re up or down.”

— Reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News

Iman Shumpert still trying to regain form after torn ACL

He admittedly isn’t the player he was last season when he ranked seventh in the NBA in steals, made the All-Rookie first team and was the only first-year player to receive Defensive Player of the Year votes.

The explosiveness isn’t there. The lateral quickness isn’t the same. Things the athletic Shumpert would do easily, like finishing at the rim, aren’t happening nearly as much.

“It [ticks] me off,” he said.

In 20 games, Shumpert is averaging 4.7 points, shooting 30.8 percent from the field, 34 percent from three-point range and 64.7 percent from the foul line, and collecting 0.90 steals a game.

He’s playing fewer minutes and doesn’t have the ball as much. Most of his stats are markedly down from last year, when Shumpert averaged 9.5 points, converted 40.1 percent of his shots, 30.6 percent from three-point range and 79.8 percent from the line and averaged 1.71 steals.

— Reported by Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday

Former Knicks guard Ray Williams ailing from undisclosed illness

“Once a Knick, Always a Knick” is more than just a marketing slogan stitched inside the uniforms of each player who wears orange and blue.

For Ray Williams, it is a matter of life and death.

The ailing former Knicks guard, who has fallen on hard times, was transported by the Knicks last week from Florida to New York to receive treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in Manhattan for an undisclosed illness. Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan paid for the medical plane that allowed Williams, 58, to receive world-class care and to be near his mother.

A product of Mount Vernon, Williams played 10 seasons with six teams, including two tours of duty with both the Knicks and Nets. The Knicks drafted Williams, who played one season with current Knicks coach Mike Woodson, with the 10th pick of the 1977 draft.

— Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News

Jose Juan Barea flagrant foul on Ray Allen downgraded

J.J. Barea’s confrontation with Ray Allen got him ejected from Minnesota’s game against Miami on Monday night. One day later, the NBA ruled that Barea never should have been ejected.

Barea was encouraged by the correction, but it came a little too late for Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman. The NBA downgraded a flagrant 2 on Barea to a flagrant 1 on Tuesday, meaning Barea will not face a fine or suspension for his foul on Allen.

“The NBA did a good job looking at it,” Barea said after practice Tuesday. “It wasn’t that bad. It’s all right.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Serge Ibaka fined $25,000 for hitting Blake Griffin where it hurts

Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been fined $25,000 for striking Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in the groin area, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, which was called a Flagrant Foul 1 on the floor and upgraded to a Flagrant Foul 2 upon league office review, occurred with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s 108-104 win over the Clippers on Sunday, March 3 at Staples Center.

Pau Gasol hopes to get clearance for running drills soon

Assuming he doesn’t experience any setbacks, Pau Gasol plans to seek medical clearance to participate in running drills once the Lakers returns Thursday from a two-day trip that includes stops in Oklahoma City (tonight) and New Orleans (Wednesday).

When the Lakers (30-30) play the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-16) tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena, Gasol will have missed 12 games in the past month since tearing the plantar fascia of his right foot. Gasol traveled with the Lakers and spent time at the end of the team’s morning shootaround today with strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco performing various exercises that test his gluteal and neuro muscles.

— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Deron Williams says his ankles feel better

Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams, who has battled injuries all season, says his ankles don’t hurt and claims he can dunk.

During the week he was sidelined because of inflammation in both ankles, Williams did a three-day juice cleanse, regaining energy and getting bad toxins out of his system. He also received his third set of cortisone shots in both ankles and felt better as a result.

“My ankles don’t hurt,” Williams said Tuesday. “We finally got the injections in the right spot, and they feel a little bit better. I can actually walk up and down stairs and run around with my kids. I can go to the playground with them. I don’t have to hurt every time I take a single step. So, yeah, I feel a lot better. I can dunk.”

As for actually dunking in a game, Williams remains cautious.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m still nervous.”

— Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Houston Rockets sign Aaron Brooks, waive Tyler Honeycutt

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Aaron Brooks. To open a roster spot, the Rockets recalled from Rio Grande Valley and then waived forward Tyler Honeycutt. Brooks returns to Houston where he spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career.

Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon) has averaged 11.8 points and 3.5 assists in 318 career games (149 starts) with Houston, Phoenix and Sacramento. Waived by Sacramento on Mar. 1, 2013, Brooks averaged 8.0 points and 2.3 assists in 20.8 minutes per game over 46 contests (20 starts) with the Kings this season. He joined Sacramento after spending the 2011-12 campaign with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, where he was named a CBA All-Star and took Guangdong to the CBA 2012 Finals.

Selected by Houston in the first round (26th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Brooks has averaged 12.8 points and 3.6 assists in 247 career games (124 starts) with the Rockets. He had his breakout season in 2009-10, earning NBA Most Improved Player after averaging career highs of 19.6 points and 5.3 assists in 82 starts. Brooks also stood first in the NBA in 3-pointers made (.398, 209-525 3FG) in 2009-10, setting the franchise single-season record for treys. He became just the sixth player in NBA history to make at least 200 3-pointers (209) and dish out 400 or more assists (434) in the same season. In 2008-09, Brooks was selected to participate with the Sophomore Team in the 2009 Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. He also earned NBA Rookie of the Month honors for 2007 NBA Summer League. Brooks, who was dealt to the Suns during the 2010-11 season in exchange for Goran Dragic and draft considerations, also played in two games with the NBA D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers (23.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 5.0 apg in 2007-08).

Honeycutt (6-8, 188, UCLA), who was acquired by the Rockets from Sacramento on Feb. 20, averaged 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two games with Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. He averaged 0.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 3.6 minutes per game over nine contests with the Kings this season. Honeycutt was selected by Sacramento after his sophomore year out of UCLA with the 35th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Knicks sign Kenyon Martin to second 10-day contract

Veteran forward Kenyon Martin has barely played for the Knicks during his initial 10-day deal, but the team wants him to stick around a bit longer.

New York Knicks Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has signed Martin to a second consecutive 10-day contract.

Martin, 6-9, 230-pounds, has appeared in one game, playing five minutes.

The 36-21 Knicks are currently third in the Eastern conference.

Warriors beat Raptors 125-118 to snap 4-game skid

David Lee had 29 points and 11 rebounds to back Andrew Bogut’s strong return, and the Golden State Warriors snapped a four-game losing streak by outlasting the Toronto Raptors 125-118 on Monday night.

Stephen Curry added 26 points and tied a season high with 12 assists, and Klay Thompson scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away with a 9-0 run late. Bogut had four points and eight rebounds in a season-high 30 minutes after missing the last six games because of a bad back.

Andrea Bargnani scored 26 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers, and Amir Johnson added 23 points and 15 rebounds in Toronto’s fifth straight loss. Kyle Lowry finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and Rudy Gay scored 26 points after missing the Raptors’ loss at Milwaukee on Saturday night with back spasms.

Golden State’s streaky shooting still proved to be too much. The Warriors outshot the Raptors 57 to 44 percent and made 23 of 28 free throws.

After a frustrating 1-4 road trip, Golden State began a stretch of seven straight and 16 of its last 22 at home. The Warriors improved to 19-7 this season at Oracle Arena, where the ever-loyal fan base has sold out 17 straight games and is begging for a playoff berth.

— Reported by Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press